Welcome to Gravity Falls
by peblezQ
Summary: Welcome to Gravity Falls, where anything is possible. Expect the unexpected from this place; all sorts of things that are supernatural and/or mysterious will occur. Gravity Falls is about to receive a visitor from an alternate universe. Will Dipper and Mabel trust this visitor? Will they help them return home? Read to find out. (Rated[T]just in case-for mild language and violence.)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

"So, aren't you excited that it's summer?" Dianna asked her daughter as she washed dishes. She stopped and turned around to look at her daughter after the lack of a reply and she raised an eyebrow at her.

"Hello, earth to Joan…" Dianna said, snapping her fingers to get her daughter out of her dazed trance.

"Hmm?" Joan lifted her head up and looked around the room quite dazed, and she turned to look at her mom.

"I asked if you're happy that it's summer." Dianna says as he turned to continue washing the dishes. Joan leaned her elbows on the kitchen table and crossed her legs on her chair. She continued to click the pen that she always seemed to have with her.

"Eh…" Joan moaned and continued clicking the pen with an extremely fatigued expression.

"You were just telling me last weekend that you were excited that school was going to end after the week's out, and now you're just being little miss grouchy. What's bothering you, hun?" Dianna asked as she continued to wash the dishes in the sink.

"I don't know… Kyle is gone to Disney World with his family in Florida… Jane is off to Europe to visit family, and Andy left to northern Canada to go ice fishing with his grandfather… Why does everyone have to have a _life _except me?" Joan said with a frustrated tone in her voice. She continued to click the pen, and her mother snapped after 2 minutes of silent clicking.

"Would you quit it with the pen?" Dianna says as she sharply turned and looked at Joan with exasperation. Joan grinned nervously and held her thumb tightly gripped on the edge of the pen. She smiled innocently as she lifted her thumb to release the pen clicker, and placed the pen on the table.

"Sorry, it's a habit…" Joan muttered with a flustered smile. Dianna rolled her eyes and couldn't help but grin at her daughter and turned to continue with the dishes.

"Need help with those, mom?" Joan asked as she stood up and brightened up a little.

"No, I'm fine, thank-you… Why don't you go on and do whatever until supper time. We're having my famous homemade chili!" Dianna says, making Joan smile lightly and then turning to leave the kitchen.

"Oh, and Joan, are you sure you're not upset that your dad decided to take your little brother for father/son bonding?" Dianna asked suddenly right before Joan left the kitchen.

"Naw, I'm mostly angry at my friends for ditching me… Dad and Hale need the bonding time this summer anyways… Besides, I've got you here with me!" Joan says with a beamed expression.

"Don't forget Clove…!" Dianna added, making Joan's smile fade a bit, and slowly turn into a false one.

"Yeah… And Clove…" Joan said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes and walked out of the kitchen.

After Joan left the kitchen, she walked into the living room to see her older sister Clove sitting on the couch watching TV… Or, more like texting someone while the TV is on.

"Hey, Clove… Can I use the TV?" Joan asked her sister as she lurked up to the side of the couch.

"Yeah, whatever…" Clove says without looking up from her cell phone. Joan rolled her eyes with a smirk, and sat down and grabbed the controller from the table in front of the couch. Joan flipped through the channels dimly, trying to find something decent. Joan doesn't really watch much TV anymore because all of her favourite shows were either cancelled, or they just finished a season finale; so that would leave nothing but garbage on TV. Joan's face beamed up a bit when she flipped on _Gravity Falls_ on _Family Channel_; which is the Disney Channel for Canada that's commercial free… Joan put the controller in between her and Clove on the couch, and leaned back and enjoyed the show that just started. Clove looked up from her phone and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, no… We're not watching this _kid show_ garbage…" Clove said as she instantly put her phone down beside her and grabbed the controller to change the channel.

"Hey!" Joan groaned as she leaped towards her older sister and grabbed the controller. Clove wouldn't let go of it, and so they started playing to-o-war with the remote.

"I was watching that!"

"I don't wanna watch this garbage, though!"

"You're not watching TV, nimrod!"

"Ugh, you're such a child! Why don't you grow up already?"

"I'm not a child! I'm twelve years old! I'm turning thirteen in August! I'm a pre-teen!"

"Well, _pre-teens_ don't watch Disney shows!" Clove yelled as she managed to yank the controller from Joan's grasp. Joan leaped on Clove and got a grip on the remote again and pulled with all of the strength she had; which wasn't very much strength.

"Let go!"

"You let go, Clove!"

"You're such a weakling! You and your stupid _noodle_ arms-"

"-Hey! Shut up! Give it back!"

"Joan, I swear to god-"

"HEY!" Dianna screamed from the entryway of the living room. Joan stumbled off of Clove and looked at her mother innocently.

"I was watching TV, and she changed the channel on me!"

"I was using the TV first-"

"You gave me permission to use the TV, nimrod!"

"Would you stop calling me that?"

"Enough! I don't want to hear anymore bull from the both of you two! Understood?"

"Yes mother…" Clove and Joan muttered in sync with their heads hung low.

"Clove, give Joan the damn TV remote… She was watching a show… You can text your friends in your room if you don't wanna hear the show she's watching…" Dianna added briefly before she walked away.

"What? That's so unfair!" Clove whined as she whipped the remote at Joan and stormed off to the kitchen to complain to her mother. Joan rolled her eyes and turned on _Gravity Falls_ again and watched it peacefully.

"I wish I could be there… In a cartoon world, with all of these characters… Life would be way cooler if it was that way… Too bad the life I want is a fantasy land…" Joan muttered to herself as she watched the show.

* * *

Joan walked downstairs the next morning, and overheard her mom talking on the phone in the kitchen. Joan walked in rubbing her eyes and yawned, "Good morning…" and sat down. Her mom hung up the phone and sighed.

"What's wrong, ma?" Joan asked as she poured the cereal in the empty bowl that was set up on the table.

"Your great aunt Betty just called me…" Dianna says as she put the wireless phone on the charger. Joan got up and opened the fridge and grabbed the milk, and closed the fridge.

"Why? Did someone die?" Joan asked as she poured the milk in her bowl of cereal.

"No… She wanted to know if you and Clove wanted to stay with her for the summer…" Dianna says, making Joan spit out the mouthful of cereal she just stuffed in her mouth.

"Wait, what?" Joan asked with wide eyes, looking at her mother with pleading eyes.

"I can't be stuck in the middle of nowhere with Clove and Grauntie Betty… I could be murdered out there.. Possibly by Clove if I ever got in her way… With nothing to do, I'd get in her way all of the time…" Joan explains nervously as Dianna started cleaning up the cereal off of the table.

"Don't worry, your sister will _not_ go for sure… But you-"

"-Oh no, mom… As much as I love the idea of being away from Clove for a whole summer, I couldn't spend a _whole_ summer with Grauntie Betty in the _middle of nowhere_…" Joan says, interrupting her mother and standing from her seat with pleading eyes.

"Joan, you don't have to stay the whole summer if you don't want to. Just at least go for the weekend and call me and tell me if you want to come home or not." Dianna explains as she walked to the garbage to dispose the paper towel she used to clean the table with.

"Really?" Joan asked with glowing eyes.

"Yes… Oh, and also; your Grauntie Betty doesn't live in the middle of nowhere… She lives… Uhh..."

"... In the middle of nowhere…" Joan says, completing her mother's sentence with crossed arms and a cocked up eyebrow. Dianna couldn't help but smile and turned to put the dried up dishes in the cupboards.

"Napanee isn't the _middle of nowhere_… There's just lots of trees and farmland there…" Dianna explained as she continued to put dishes away. Joan sat down in a slouched position, and picked at her cereal with her spoon.

"When do I have to leave…?" Joan muttered, resting her face in her sweaty palm, realizing she really is going no matter what she says.

"Tomorrow…" Dianna said, leaving Joan with a deep and utterly depressed sigh.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Joan stepped off of the bus and wobbled around a bit, trying to walk with legs that were completely numb from the nine hour drive. She pulled her suitcases out of the bag compartment on the side of the coach bus, and walked to the bench at the front of the bus stop with her stuff. She sat and waited for maybe only a minute before she realized Betty was waiting there for her across the street. Joan stood up and walked across the empty two lane street and Betty walked out of her car. For an 80 year old woman, she actually only seemed like she would be in her mid 60's with on grey streak in her hair. She limped up to Joan and gave her a tight hug.

"Oh It's nice to see you again... The last time I saw you, you were so little that you were eye length with everyone's waists…"

"Ugh.. It's nice… To… See… You, too… Grauntie Betty… I... Can't breathe…." Joan muffled from her great aunt's chest. Betty released Joan, and Joan gasped for air and her head felt like a balloon. Joan smiled at her aunt Betty, and they both put the suitcases in the car and drove off down the empty road which was actually a country highway.

"Oh, I wish Clove could be here…" Betty says suddenly, obviously trying to make small talk with her great niece. Joan smiled at the attempt and answered with the truth.

"Hey, it's better off that way… It's just you and me…"

"That's right… I suppose... So how is Clove these days? Oh, and how's your father and Hale doing?" Betty asked Joan with a small smile.

"They're fine…" Joan replied with a small awkward smile.

"You okay, hun?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah…"

"Okay…" Betty says, looking back at the road suspiciously. The rest of the drive was pretty quiet except for minor small talk here and there, but that was the most chattering they've done so far.

* * *

Joan unpacked her bags and put her clothes in the drawers of the spare bedroom. Betty had a fairly large two floor home for just one person. Joan had to sleep in the bedroom in the basement, but she didn't mind. The house was built on a sloped hill, and so the basement had big windows that opened out to the forest and a river that eventually attached two lakes together. So, Joan had a pretty awesome view, and so she decided to stare out that big window every night before she went to sleep. She instantly felt a little more cozy here after getting this bedroom, and she got to spend a whole summer pretty much on her own. Betty had to work all five days of the week, and on weekends she does errands and goes to her different clubs. So, Joan got a lot of alone time, which was oddly very nice and relaxing for her. Betty had a big standard TV that is a little bit more taller and wider as Joan's height, and not to mention a great collection of VHS tapes and DVD's. Betty didn't have cable or satellite, but Joan knew she'd be quite entertained watching old VHS movies and DVD's all day.

* * *

Joan opened her eyes and took a deep breath. She smiled at the nice peaceful summer ahead of her, and at the nice view from her window, and instantly picked up the phone and called her mom after spending a couple of days with Betty.

"Hey, mom!"

"Hi, Joan! How's everything up there?"

"I actually like it here a lot. Even though I only see Grauntie Betty in the mornings and at night most days, I still love the quiet wilderness. I like looking out my bedroom window... It's got a nice view of a hill opening out on a river with a ton of trees on the other side with a few cottages scattered. The river is slopped under two hills, and the houses on both sides are on a hill, so the people on the other side gets a nice view as well."

"That's great, hunny! So, are you going to stay the whole summer?"

"Yeah… I think so... Well, good night, ma…"

"Good night my little Joan Jett… Don't forget that if you ever want or need to come home, just call me, okay?"

"Alright… Love you…"

"Love you, too darling... Sweet dreams. Oh, and remember…"

"Remember what? Don't talk to strangers?"

"Well, yeah... But, try to go out and make friends… If there's any kids your age around there, that is…"

"Okay, mom… Well, bye-"

"Oh, and call me if you ever get an _epic summer romance_… I wanna hear-"

"Ma, would you cut it out?"

"Sorry, sorry… But seriously, you can tell me anything..."

"Ugh, mom… I'm not going to have an _epic summer romance_… I'm too busy…"

"Too busy? What on earth are you doing to make you too busy for something like that?"

"I'm too busy being forever alone… Besides, I always end up loving someone more than they'll ever love me…"

"... And that's a bad thing…? Hunny, it's a blessing to be a very loving person…"

"It's both a blessing, and a curse…" Joan says with a deep sigh.

"Well, I'm sure you'll find someone someday who will love you just as much as you love them…"

"Thanks, mom… But seriously, I still have my whole life ahead of me… I haven't even turned 13 yet and you're already talking to me about _epic summer romance's_? Doesn't that usually happen to teenagers?"

"Well, my epic summer romance took place when I was 13… Ahh, I still remember that summer so vividly… Wow, he was just so dreamy..."

"Uhh, Mom? You're married now… I think you should maybe move on..."

"Oh, I married him…" Dianna replied, making Joan roll her eyes. She could see her mother smirking at her right now. Joan shook her head and sighed, trying to rub the awkwardness off of her face with her sweaty hand.

"Okay, I need to sleep now… I'll call you soon…"

"Alright, hunny! Sweet dreams!"

"You, too… Bye.."

"Bye!"

Joan hung up the phone, and walked over to her bed. She laid there for a few hours, thinking about what her mother said. _Try to make some friends… Epic summer romance…_ Joan shook off the thoughts and laughed.

"Friends would be fine, but I seriously doubt I'll have a summer romance… Besides, mom probably jinxed it anyways… You can't really expect that kind of stuff to happen... It just kind of, does… Well, if it's fate…" Joan muttered to herself quietly while staring at the roof.

* * *

Joan woke up the next morning with a stretch and took a deep breath of the damp air in her lungs and smiled at the scent. She hopped out of the bed and walked up the stairs and walked into the kitchen. It was a very retro looking kitchen, and hasn't been updated drastically since the house was built. The last time it was updated, they probably just fixed a few problems, but didn't make anything modern because Betty didn't like the look and feel of a modern kitchen. Joan actually liked the kitchen, it felt like she lived in a different era, which brought some vast imagination to her mind.

"Well, I'm off to work. I get off early today, so maybe we can go out for dinner?" Betty says as Joan continued to eat her cereal.

"Yeah, sure!" Joan says with a mouth full of food, but she didn't seem to notice nor care, and Betty just smiled and slightly shook her head at her great niece.

"Well, see you later, dear..." Betty says as she walked out the side door. Joan waved at her great aunt and finished eating her cereal.

* * *

After watching a few movies and eating lunch, Joan decided to get dressed and go explore around Betty's house and into the woods a bit. Joan wandered for what felt like 5 hours, but in reality, it was probably one hour. Joan actually liked it though, and she found nature to be very peaceful and quiet. She didn't mind the bugs because she had bug spray on, and she tried not to touch odd looking plants with her bare hands.

The sun moved to a different position, meaning she's been out for more than three hours now, so she probably had to head back. She didn't go far. She just ventured until she found a beautiful getaway place and wrote notes in her pocket journal with her clicky pen. Joan loved to write stories, especially adventure stories. She was writing notes for a story based off of where she is now, and hoping to make it a great adventure. She was even putting a summer romance in there just so her mom can be happy reading it, too. Joan kind of wished the ideas that she came up with were actually happening to her, but she knows that is just a fantasy.

Joan stood up, put on her jacket and put her journal and pen in the inside pocket of the jacket. She looked up and noticed barely any sunlight was coming through the trees, and that's why she suddenly felt so cold. That was her cue to head back home so she can make it back in time to go out for dinner with Betty. Joan walked for a bit when she noticed a slight shimmer in her eye, making her blink awkwardly and turning her head to see what nearly blinded her. She gasped a little when she noticed a pure blue puddle that was about the diameter of a regular well. She walked up to it and looked at the water rippling a bit to the wind breeze. She kneeled down and felt dazed at the puddle shimmering sunlight off of it's perfect blue blanket of silky water. She picked up a twig and stroked it carefully through the puddle, and then pulled the stick out. She looked at the stick and saw that it was still normal looking, just wet. She hesitantly touched the wet part of the stick, and let out a sigh of relief when she just felt the wetness. She wanted to make sure it wasn't some acid puddle because it was so blue and so perfect looking. It was one of those; _Is this too good to be true?_ moments for her. She placed the stick down and slowly caressed her hand across the soft blanket of blue water and smiled at the feeling. It was not hot, but it wasn't really cold. It wasn't too warm either, but it still felt oddly warm for a puddle. She looked up at the sky and remembered the sun was shining on it, and looked back at the puddle.

"Maybe it's slightly warm because of the sun…?" Joan asked herself quietly with a cocked eyebrow. Joan pushed her hand down a little deeper for support to lift her up, thinking that ground will be there, but she nearly fell in, quickly pulling her hand out and falling backwards. She sat up quickly and stared with a puzzled expression at the odd puddle.

"How deep is that puddle?" Joan muttered quietly as she crawled up to the puddle. It suddenly stopped rippling, and it was absolutely still. Joan looked down in the puddle, and could see her reflection. She sighed at her reflection and felt her nose.

"My nose is so big… If I were a cartoon my nose would be so exaggerated and huge, and I'd be that ugly character, wishing life was better for me…" Joan muttered to herself as she studied her reflection. Joan leaned in a little too much and fell face first into the puddle, but when she fell in, she seemed to fall for a long time. She suddenly hit the ground and rolled down a grassy hill violently, hitting twigs and pine needles as she rolled down quickly.

"Ouch! Oof! Ahh! Ugh!" Joan muttered and groaned painfully as she continued to roll down the hill. Finally, she landed on flat ground, somersaulted and smashed her head against a giant tree root that was sticking out of the ground. She laid on the ground in complete and utter pain, staring up at the sky above her. The world was blurry, and it wouldn't seem to sit still. It just spun so much she started to feel nauseous; and she never seemed to get motion sick before. Joan rubbed her head and groaned painfully. She couldn't really make out what was around her because the world wouldn't stop spinning. She heard people talking and rolled her head over to see two blurry figures walking up to her.

"See, I told you I heard something strange! It's, it's-"

"A girl, dorkface.."

"What? I swear it was something else!"

"Like what, a unicorn? Hahaha… Unicorn… I like unicorns…"

"Focus!" the boy said, shaking the girl slightly.

"Uh, oh, looks like someone might be losing consciousness…" the girl said while pointing at Joan. Joan rolled her head back and faced the sky. She saw two shadowed figures of the two people covering most of the sunlight; obviously they were hovering over her to see if she was still awake… And alive, for that matter. Joan's vision grew more and more blurry and darker. She couldn't make out the faces of the two people standing above her. She heard muffled voices, but couldn't hear what they were saying exactly. Her eyes slowly fluttered closed, and everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

Joan slowly opened her eyes and blinked a few times until her vision became clear. She looked around and felt quite confused. Where am I…? And why does everything look like a… Cartoon? Joan sat up quickly, and she was struck with the worst pain from her head that felt like a migraine. She muttered ouch as she laid back down slowly, grabbing her throbbing head. After laying there for a bit, someone walked in and walked up next to her. Her eyes widened when she saw the boy. _I must be dreaming… I must have hit my head pretty hard because I'm seeing things… That can't be Dipper Pines from Gravity Falls..._ Joan muttered to herself in her head as he stood next to her.

"Hey, are you okay? We found you laying in the forest unconscious…" Dipper said slowly as Joan gave him a puzzled look.

"Where am I now?"

"My Grunkle's house…"

"How'd I get here?"

"Me and my sister carried you here-"

"Correction! I carried you here… Dipper couldn't bear the pain of holding your legs up after about 30 seconds of walking…"

"Mabel!" Dipper nearly yelled with bashful cheeks, and Joan couldn't help but giggle.

"Hey, it's okay… I couldn't carry anything with my noodle arms..." Joan says while cartoonishly waving her arms like a noodle. Dipper smiled sweetly at Joan's good-character and joined in laughing with her as she waved her arms. Joan thought it was neat, until her head started pounding again.

"Ouch…" Joan muttered at she stopped waving her arms and rubbed her head.

"Here, I brought some ice…" Mabel said as she handed the ice pack in her hand to Joan.

"Thanks…" Joan muttered as she gently held the ice on her head.

"What happened to you out there?" Dipper asked suddenly, making Joan look at him with a worried look.

"Uhh… The last thing I remember was falling, and rolling down a grassy hill with twigs and pine needles. Then I smashed my head and I can't remember anything after that…" Joan explain slowly as she held the freezing cold ice on her head gently.

"Wow, you had quite the fall…" Dipper said with a raised eyebrow and a small smirk.

"Yeah… I think I tripped or something…" Joan lied, still trying to figure out what's happening to her. She was still wondering if this was a weird dream or not.

"Are you from around here?" Dipper asked, trying to change the subject.

"No, I was shipped here from my parents-mostly by my mom- to stay with my great aunt Betty for the summer…" Joan replied, not realizing that her aunt doesn't live in this fantasy world.

"Wow, what a coincidence! We were shipped here from our parents too, to visit-"

"Hey kids, is that girl awake- Oh, hey there…" a familiar looking old man says, walking into the living room.

"Hey…" Joan replied awkwardly with a nervous smile. He walked into the room and Mabel explained Joan's story to him briefly.

"What's your great aunt's name?" Stan asked while stroking his stubble cheek.

"Betty…" Joan replied, not realizing that she's not really at home.

"Wait, did you just say Betty? As in Betty Miles?" he asked with a brightened up expression.

"Yeah... Why?" Joan asked, quite confused as of why Stan Pines knew who her great aunt was.

"She's my neighbor! We've been neighbors for a long time now…" Stan said with a smile that seemed quite odd for him to have.

"Does someone _like_ this neighbor…? Hmmm?" Mabel asked him teasingly, making Stan cough and clear his throat nervously.

"No.. She's just.. Nice, that's all…"

"How come we've never met her?" Dipper asked Stan with a tilted head.

"Uhh, because I don't speak to her very much…"

"Then how would you know that she's nice?" Mabel asked with a raised eyebrow.

"She's nice because she's the one neighbour who's never bothered me or got on my nerves... Anywho, back to this kid here. I'll just call your aunt and tell her you're here. She can come by and pick you up." Stan says, walking out of the living room.

Joan slowly stood up off of the chair that she was laying on; which was big enough for her to lay on completely, and she stood in front of it while holding the ice on her head.

"Oh, I almost forgot to properly introduce myself... I'm Dipper…" Dipper said suddenly, holding his hand out to shake Joan's hand. Joan just smiled and shook his hand.

"I'm Joan…" Joan replied with a bright smile. She suddenly realized that she might have been shaking Dipper's and too long, so she quickly-but carefully-pulled it away.

"I'm Mabel! And that old guy is our Grunkle Stan. Grunkle is great and uncle morphed together!"

"Cool, I do that with my Grauntie Betty! Grauntie is great and aunt-more like auntie-morphed together!" Joan says with a bright smile. Joan can tell that these two might actually like her considering seeing their bright faces. Suddenly, Stan walked by and headed for the front door and opened it. The three kids ran up from behind Stan and onto the porch and saw Betty walking in. Wow, she looks cool as a cartoon… Joan thought to herself as her Grauntie Betty walked up to the porch with a joyous face.

"Oh thank heavens you're okay, Joan! Thank-you, Stan, for calling me… And thanks for taking care of my great niece…" Betty says with glowing eyes towards Stan. Stan smiled and scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"Ahh, it was nothing really… Not hard at all-"

"Grunkle Stan, you didn't do anything. Me and Mabel pulled her into the house and gave her ice, you just called-"

"Nuh Uh, I pulled her in and gave her ice. You just questioned her like she was in one of those cop shows or something…" Mabel said, cutting Dipper off and making Dipper blush crazily again.

"Hey, you all helped somehow!" Joan said with a bright smile.

"Oh, I almost forgot… Here, you might want this ice back-"

"Keep it, we've got plenty more where that came from…" Dipper said with a soft smile.

"Oh, well thanks for helping me, and you know, not leaving me to be dragged off by a complete stranger or something…"

"Technically that _did_ happen-_Oof_"

"No problem!" Dipper said, cutting Mabel off by elbowing her in the gut; not losing eye contact with Joan, and giving her an innocent smile.

"Let's go home, Joan…" Betty said as she lightly rested her hand on Joan's shoulder, leading her off of the porch. Joan and Betty walked a few steps before they were stopped.

"Wait!" Dipper said from the porch, making Joan and Betty stop and turn around.

"Uhh, maybe you can stop by again sometime…?" Dipper suggested while nervously rubbing the back of his neck. Joan smiled brightly and replied, "Of course! Grauntie Betty is out a lot, so I'll come by as much as you want me to!"

"Then stop by everyday-I, uhh… I mean… Uhh-"

"Sure!" Joan said, cutting Dipper's awkwardness off and waving good-bye. Dipper smiled bashfully and waved at Joan as she walked off with Betty. Joan smiled and instantly thought; I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship… Well, all thoughts were good until she realized that she might wake up in her actual bed like _Dorothy_ in _The Wizard of Oz_, and start explaining her dream to a bunch of people. Joan held her head hung low as she walked back to her Grauntie Betty's cartoon house, going to miss this little world. _I'm not sure if I ever wanna wake up from this dream.. But I'm not making any wishes I might regret, so… Farewell Gravity Falls…_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: **

Joan fluttered her eyes open slowly, hearing birds chirping, and breathing in the cold, damp air of her great aunt's basement. Joan scrunched her eyes closed as she sat up and stretched. She rubbed her eyes and opened them and simply muttered, "Oh… It was just a dream… Just a…" Joan trailed off as she looked around the room. It looked the same, but it still looked like a cartoon.

"Wait, what? This can't be right…" Joan muttered as she jumped out of bed and looked at herself in the mirror. She nearly screamed when she saw what she looked like.

"I…. I… I'm a cartoon!?" Joan nearly screamed as she felt her face nervously.

"This is so weird… My face doesn't feel any different… But It looks kind of different… Although, I look a lot nicer as a cartoon… And hey…" Joan trailed off as she kept checking herself out in the mirror with a slight smile.

"I think my nose is smaller… And my hair looks so perfect looking… Aside from the curled ruffles at the edges, but there's no fly-aways! I think I like being a cartoon!" Joan says to herself as she checked herself out with a smirk. Joan suddenly brought herself back to reality and started questioning this again.

"Wait a minute… Why am I still here…? Am I not dreaming? Wait, wait... I just need to retrace my steps…" Joan said to herself as she paced back and fourth in her room, clicking her pen anxiously. Okay, so yesterday I was in the woods... And I wasn't a cartoon… I was heading back to Grauntie Betty's house… Then I fell in the…" Joan trailed off, looking over at her little pocket journal. She hurried over to it and saw the drawing she made of the weird blue puddle that she fell through that was drawn right before she fell through it.

"Of course… After I fell in that thing, that's when I fell into this world and rolled down the hill and smashed my head… I hit my head after I fell through the weird puddle… That means…" Joan looked back in the mirror with terror.

"... I fell through a portal to another universe!" Joan yelled with wide eyes.

* * *

Joan walked upstairs after she put on her clothes, and her eyes were still wide with shock. She sat in the kitchen and looked over at her great aunt with a cocked eyebrow. _How did she get here though…? She didn't come with me through the portal… Ugh, this is so confusing…_ Joan rubbed her face stressfully as she slumped her head over the table from her chair.

"What's on your mind, hun?" Betty says as she placed the breakfast on the table in front of Joan.

"Hmm? Oh… Uhh, nothing…" Joan says, blushing nervously as she was face to face with her great aunt.

"What's wrong…?" Betty asked as she gave her great niece a smirk and put the rest of the breakfast on the table.

"N-nothing… nothing at all…" Joan replied with bashful cheeks, trying hard to hide her emotions. She didn't really know why she was blushing so much, she assumed it was because she could have been thinking out loud.

"Are you sure…?"

"Yes, Grauntie Betty…" Joan said sternly, putting some food onto her plate without giving Betty any eye contact. They silently put more food on their plates, and Joan started eating before Betty did.

"Is this about a certain someone…?" Betty asked suddenly, making Joan spit out her first mouthful of scrambled eggs.

"What!? No!" Joan replied with a raised eyebrow and slightly flushed cheeks at the mess she just made all over the table.

"Uhh, I'll clean that up…" Joan said nervously as she picked up the paper towels and started wiping up her food.

"Oh, sorry I asked..." Betty replied with a smirk as she continued to eat.

"Grauntie Betty, I just got here… I haven't even met anyone who I'd consider…-_Uhh_…" Joan says, shivering at the end with the thought of the whole _epic summer romance_ idea. Joan was still 12, and didn't want to deal with that kind of stuff at the moment. She was too busy worrying about how to get home.

"Oh… Sorry… I just figured-"

"Figured what exactly…?" Joan asked slowly as she cut off her great aunt, not _really_ wanting to know where this conversation was going.

"Ahh, nothing… I guess I was wrong…" Betty replied, lowering her head and continuing to eat her food. Joan just raised an eyebrow and threw out the paper towels and continued with eating her breakfast.

"Well, I'm going to be out a lot this summer… And you seemed to like the neighbor's you just met yesterday, so…" Betty started, making Joan look up at her great aunt with a puzzled look for a second. Suddenly, that's when Joan realized where she was and that this wasn't a dream. She really did meet the Pines family last night.

"I hate leaving you by yourself, so I'd be nice to have company, right?" Betty continued, making Joan's face grow brighter.

"Maybe you could spend time there whenever I'm not home, okay? I just don't want you to be lonely while I'm out and about…" Betty finished, making Joan's smile grow enormously.

"Uhh, yeah, sure!" Joan says right before she stuffed her mouth again.

"Well, here's a spare key…" Betty says as she pulled a key out of her pocket and tossed it over to Joan. Joan attempted to catch it with one hand, but ended up completely missing the key. She blushed and picked the key off of the ground and put it in her pocket.

"In case you ever lose that for some reason, there's always another key under the doormat of the side door." Betty continued, getting up and clearing her plate and putting it in the dishwasher.

"Thanks…!" Joan says as she gets up and puts her dish in the dishwasher and walks away.

"Just make sure you're home for supper every night, okay?" Betty explained as she grabbed her keys off of the counter and slipped her shoes on at the side door.

"Of course!" Joan says with a smile. Betty finished putting her shoes on and then opened the door.

"You coming?"Betty asked, making Joan snap out of the five second trance and hurry to the door.

"Oh, I'm going now?" Joan asked as she put her boots on.

"Yeah, if you want to that is…" Betty says as she watched Joan finish putting her boots on.

"Ready!" Joan said with a bright smile. "Okay…" Betty said as they walked out the door, and Betty locked the door behind them.

"Be home for supper…" Betty said as she headed for her car.

"I will, don't worry!" Joan said as she walked towards the woods while waving.

"Just go straight through there for five minutes and you'll be there! Oh, and be careful, there's a steep hill that you can easily fall down…" Betty explained as Joan kept walking. Joan rolled her eyes and quietly muttered, "Thanks sherlock… Like I didn't know that…"

"What was that, darling?"

"I said thanks! Have a good day!"

"Oh you too, Joan!" Betty said with a smile as she went in her car and drove away. Joan continued to walk through the small part of the woods until she made it to the mystery shack.

"Wow, I can't believe I'm here…" Joan said to herself as she looked around with a smile. Joan walked in through the shop doors and looked around in awe. She wandered through a bit until she bumped into some guy.

"Oops... Sorry…" Joan said with bashful cheeks.

"It's okay… I wasn't paying attention… I got this note and I was trying to open it…" the boy said nervously. Joan smiled and walked away and looked at a shelf of goodies.

"Do you like me? Yes... Definetly... Absolutely…?" the boy looked around curiously after reading the note, and that's when Joan's eyes grew wide. She recognized that line and instantly turned around to eavesdrop.

"I rigged it…" Mabel said in a whisper from behind a counter at the other end of the room. Joan's mouth opened a little bit, completely shocked that she's witnessing a familiar scene from the TV show Gravity Falls.

"Mabel, I know you're going through you're whole boy-crazy phase, but I think you're kind of overdoing it with the crazy part." Dipper said as he cleaned some glass jars over by where Mabel was.

"What!? Phhhttt… Come on, Dipper. This is our first summer away from home. It's my big chance to have an epic summer romance…"

"Yeah, but do you need to flirt with every guy you meet?" Dipper said while continuing to wipe the jars and counters. Joan lifted her head and let the flashback play in her head as it did for them.

**[Flashback]**

_ "My name is Mabel… But you can call me the girl of your dreams… I'm joking! Hahahaha!" Mabel said as she shoved the boy into one of those shelves that have greeting cards on it. _

_"Omigosh, you like turtles… I like turtles, too! What is happening here…?" Mabel said to a random boy at the park. Not to mention she even hit on the strange guy who worked at a mattress store and she managed freaked him out. _

**[Back to Present Time] **

Joan smiled and looked back at the two other kids. Dipper shook the flashback out of his mind and looked back at Mabel with his arms crossed.

"Mock all you want brother, but I've got a good feeling about this summer. I wouldn't be surprised if the man of my dreams walked through that door right now..." Mabel said with full confidence. Just then, Stan walked through the doorway burping, and Dipper started laughing at Mabel who was moaning with disgust. Joan couldn't help but giggle, but she covered her mouth and turned around, hoping nobody noticed her. Just then, Joan tried to casually walk to a different part of the shop, but she bumped into one of those spinning shelves that hold greeting cards and knocked them over. Joan scrunched her eyes closed and slapped her face.

"Smooth…" Joan groaned as she rubbed her forehead stressfully.

"Woah, what in crime's name was that?" Stan asked as he looked around, dropping all of the arrow signs he held in his hand.

"Ahh nuts… Let me just pick-Oh my back! Ugh… Mabel, would you mind..?" Stan said as he grabbed his lower back painfully. Mabel leaned over and picked up Stan's signs and gave them to him as he straightened his back out and cracked it.

"What was that commotion about?" Stan said as he looked around.

"Sorry, let me fix that…" Joan said nervously as she leaned over and picked up the shelf. She sat it upright and started picking up the greeting cards that fell on the floor. Dipper walked over and started helping Joan put the greeting cards away, when suddenly, he finally noticed it was Joan.

"Oh, Joan! Hey!" Dipper said suddenly with a smile.

"Hey… Sorry about this… I came by for a visit, but accidentally knocked this over… I'm such a clutz."

"It's alright… This shelf somehow always gets knocked over… I think we should move it, but Stan won't allow it-"

"You're darn right I won't…" Stan said with his arms crossed.

"Alright… Anywho, look alive people… I need someone to put these signs out in the deepest, scariest parts of the forest…" Stan said, holding the signs out to everyone.

"Shot-not!" Dipper said quickly.

"Not it!" Mabel said right after. Stan looked over at a tall long haired ginger who lowered her magazine to reveal Wendy.

"I would but… It's so far away…" Wendy said as she stretched her arm out lazily towards the signs. She didn't even look away from her magazine, and she used her hand to flip to the next page after stretching for two seconds.

"Dipper, I guess it'll have to be you…" Stan said as he dumped the signs on Dipper.

"Ugh, come on… Why do I have to go? Something's fishy about this place… My mosquito bites spelt, **BEWARE**..."

"That says, **BEWARB**..." Stan said as he pointed at Dipper's mosquito bites. Dipper nervously scratched them and looked over at the signs.

"There's now way I'm going out there alone…"

"I'll come with you…" Joan blurted out by accident, covering her mouth after she said that.

"Really? Thanks!" Dipper said as he handed Joan a few signs. Joan smiled nervously and grabbed the signs. She looked around and saw Mabel smiling at her, Dipper smiling at her, Stan suspiciously looking at her, and Wendy still looking at her magazine. Joan gulped and then followed Dipper out the door.

"She seems nice…" Mabel said with a smile.

"Hmm… She seems a little strange to me…" Stan says as he stroked his chin carefully as he squinted at Dipper and Joan walking out of the Mystery Shack.

* * *

Joan and Dipper were placing signs through the darkest parts of the forest and felt very tired after a while.

"Ugh, I hate Stan for making me do stupid work for his shop…" Dipper moaned as he hammered a nail in a tree. Joan passed him a sign right after and Dipper placed it on the tree.

"It's alright… My older sister always makes me do her chores while she sneaks out… My parents paid her for 'all of the chores she's done' and I never got a dime of that pay…" Joan said as her and Dipper walked to the next tree.

"How old is your sister?" Dipper asked as he hammered a nail into the next tree.

"Sixteen… It sucks because we used to be close when we were younger, but now…"

"... She's all grown up…?" Dipper said, finishing Joan's sentence while turning to face her.

"Yeah…" Joan said quietly as she handed Dipper a sign. Dipper placed the sign on the tree and started walking to the next tree with Joan.

"She always picks on me for being a control freak sometimes, and for always clicking a pen when I'm lost in thought…" Joan said as Dipper was about to hammer the next nail into another tree.

"Wait what?" Dipper asked suddenly turning around.

"Uhh, I mean-"

"I do that too!" Dipper said with a smile. Joan couldn't help but smile back in realization Hmm, I'm a lot like Dipper… I never even noticed that before... Joan thought to herself as she smiled back at Dipper. Dipper turned and started hammering a nail into the tree, but it made a weird sound that was like something banging on metal.

"What the heck…?" Dipper said as he moved the nail out of the way. He slid his hand across the tree and brushed a bunch of dust off of the oddly smooth bark. He found a little handle and opened the tree to reveal a strange machine inside of it.

"What the…" Dipper trailed off, putting the hammer from his other hand down on the ground.

"What is it?" Joan asked curiously while placing the signs on the ground.

"I don't know?" Dipper said as he studied the machine carefully. Dipper flipped a switch, but nothing happened, so he flipped the second switch right after. The ground started opening under Joan's feet and she yelled as she fell in the three feet deep hole. Dipper turned and saw Joan sitting in a little rectangle hole in the ground with a goat running away with fear.

"Woah, are you alright?" Dipper asked as he held his hand out towards Joan.

"Yeah…" Joan replied as he grabbed Dipper's hand and let him pull her out. They turned and looked in the hole and saw something that was slightly un-dusted by Joan's butt. Dipper pulled it out and blew away the old dirt and dust to reveal a book that had a six fingered hand that had a number 3 on it.

"Woah…" Dipper said under his breath.

"Open it…" Joan said slowly as she looked over Dipper's shoulder. Dipper opened the book to the first page and saw the 'this book belongs to...' was ripped before the name was revealed. Dipper flipped to the next page and read the page out loud and Joan listened carefully. Then he made it to the last line where it said, "Trust no one in Gravity Falls…" Dipper looked over his shoulder at Joan who gave him the same look of utter confusion.

"Whatcha reading there Dipper?" Mabel said suddenly, freaking Dipper out so much that he fell backwards on the ground. Joan couldn't help but laugh with Mabel as Dipper scrambled to his feet.

"Uhh, n-nothing…!" Dipper said as he quickly put the book in his vest pocket.

"Uh-uh, nothing! You should've seen your face!" Mabel said while making fun of Dipper's reaction. Mabel laughed as she started walking back to where she came from saying, "Meet ya back at the shack!" Dipper rolled his eyes and tugged Joan's arm.

"Come on, let's head back…" Dipper said as he started pulling Joan with him as he walked away.

"But what about the rest of the signs?" Joan said as she pointed at the signs laying on the ground.

"Okay, let's head back once we've finished hanging the signs…" Dipper said, turning around and picking up the hammer and nails.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_**Hey! Sorry if there were any grammatical mistakes... Stuff happens... So, anyways, I will probably not update for a while. I'll try to update on weekends, but that's the best I can do. Stupid school... I have 3 months left of school two weeks from now. **(Yes!)** So, If I don't get to finish this story in those three months, then I'll be able to write tons in the summer. Please leave a review! And don't forget to fave if you like it! :)**_

_**You guys are lucky! I just posted this up on here today right after I finished writing chapter 4, so I posted up 4 chapters! So, you guys should be able to wait a bit.**_

_**~Pebbs**_


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